Family functioning in a deaf-parented family with hearing adolescents : an illustrative case study

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to describe perceptions of family life in a Deafparented family with hearing a~olescents. The study represents a secondary analysis of data from a larger study entitled "Family Functioning : Deaf Parents with Nondeaf Children" (Jones, 1990). The conceptual framework for this study was based on the Ecological Model, and expanded through use of Family Systems Theory (Speigel , 1971; Speigel, 1982; Harvey, 1988; Dossey, 1995 ; Dzurec, 1995; MacPhee, 1995). Data consisted of individual family member' s scores on two family assessment instruments: The Feetham Family Functioning Survey (Roberts, & Feetham, 1982) and the Parental Strengths and Needs Inventory (Strom, & Cooledge, 1985). Further data was collected from semi-structured interviews conducted with all family members. The interviews were designed to parallel topics addressed in the Feetham Family Functioning Survey, which was administered to the children' s parents. Data was analyzed according to the case study method described by Sechrest ( 1996). Family assessment instruments were scored , and analyzed by comparing and contrasting scores, utilizing discrepancy and congruency scores . Interview content was analyzed by content analysis methods to induce themes (Polit, & Bungler, 1989). Themes were then categorized according to two main ecological systems addressing the structural-functional aspects of family functioning: 1) Relationships within the family ; and 2) Relationships between the family and broader society. Pattern matching was then completed to identify, and intuitively interpret and compare the patterns found across data sets , to the patterns in the extant literature (Sechrest, 1996). Over the past twenty years, there as been a paradigm shift in how the condition of deafness is viewed. This view has shifted from a deficit perspective, as in the Medical Model, where deafness is viewed as a disability needing to be managed, to the Sociocultural view that Deaf people should be viewed as a linguistic minority (Lane, 1984; Dolnick, 1993). In this study, lowercase deaf refers to the audiologic condition of hearing impairment, and the capitalized Deaf refers to affiliation and identification with the Deaf community and culture. Because communication problems may lead to magnified problems in the turbulent adolescent decade of the parent-child relationship, it is important to understand more about how Deaf-parented families with hearing adolescents view their family life overall, and any areas of problems they may identify. The results of this study suggest that Deaf-parented families can function well, when viewed through the context of family systems, and within the cultural context of Deafness in America.